Starting January 1, 2026, the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague will launch a pilot program with a special ticket category: Dutch visitors entering the museum after 4:00 PM will pay only €4 instead of €20 for the last two hours. Our (Pretwerk) ticketing specialist Hans Keijmel calls it "a smart move" and provides further clarification on this trend of "After Work tickets" or "Sunset fares," which is already common practice abroad.
This reduced price is valid for the last two hours of the day, seven days a week. It's a pilot program that will be evaluated after six months. The Mauritshuis is the first museum in the Netherlands to offer such a significantly reduced ticket price daily. The goal of this initiative is to provide access to the museum for people who cannot afford it financially. This rate applies to all Dutch visitors (residents of the Netherlands) aged 19 and over.
A key part of our mission is that everyone can feel at home in the Mauritshuis, an ambition we are continuously working towards. Our current ticket price can be a barrier to visiting the museum and is therefore not in line with our mission. We are pleased to be able to welcome even more people in this way.
Martine Gosselink, General Manager
A pilot with preconditions
The special €4 entrance ticket is available at the Mauritshuis ticket office from 4:00 PM (not online) and is valid only for visitors residing in the Netherlands. Group visits of up to four people are permitted. The Mauritshuis initiative is in principle valid for six months and will be evaluated afterward. Visitors under 18 years of age always have free admission to the Mauritshuis.
Visitors 2025
The Mauritshuis is ending the year with very positive visitor numbers. The museum is expected to welcome approximately 520.000 visitors, a 5% increase compared to 2024. These figures include visits to the Prince William V Gallery. Never before has the museum welcomed so many visitors in a single calendar year.
Explanation 'After Work Tickets'
The knowledge pool of Pretwerk.nl also includes a prominent specialist in the field of ticketing in day recreation: Hans Keijmel from Convious . He is willing to provide some clarification on this initiative if desired.
Do you already know several parties that are successfully applying this?
Keijmel: “Yes, we often see this concept under the name 'After Work' tickets or 'Sunset' rates.
- Osnabrück Zoo: They have been using a lower rate from 15:30 PM for some time now to fill the last hours of the day; the Feierabond tickets
- Convious Partners: Many of our partners use our Real Time Pricing algorithm. While this isn't always a fixed price of €4, we see that partners who offer lower prices for less popular time slots (often late afternoon) see a significant increase in their total occupancy without increasing pressure on peak times.
What are the risks? (for example, loss of income due to leakage)
Keijmel: “The risk you describe, that people who would otherwise have paid the full price now wait until 4 p.m., is also called cannibalization.
- Segmentation as security: The Mauritshuis protects this rate very well. It is only available at the box office (not online), only for residents of the Netherlands, and not for groups larger than four people. This creates a barrier for the "casual tourist," who is usually willing to pay the full price.
- Operational pressure: A greater risk is the crowds. If hundreds of people suddenly arrive at 16:00 PM, this can negatively impact the experience of the day visitor (who paid €20).
- Capacity management: Because tickets aren't available online, you lose some predictability. You only know how busy it will actually be around 16:00 PM.
Is this a better strategy than the generic discount tool?
Keijmel: “That depends on your objective.
- Social Mission: This is superior for the Mauritshuis's goal (accessibility). A generic 10% discount won't help someone on a budget, but a jump from €20 to €4 will.
- Yield Management: From a purely commercial perspective, a dynamic pricing strategy (such as Real Time Pricing) is often better. This allows the price to vary based on actual demand. This prevents you from giving away €4 tickets on a day when the late afternoon happens to be very popular.
The Mauritshuis clearly prioritizes mission over profit here. By applying strict rules (ticket office only, Dutch residents only), they minimize the risk of losing revenue from full-price visitors, while tapping into a completely new demographic.
With thanks to (clarification): Hans Keijmel of Attraction Management Platform Convious